The Anatomy of Command
by GC Rust
Summary: Ultra Magnus has his hands full with overseeing the construction of Autobot City. But when a unlikely threat emerges, how can Ultra Magnus salvage not just his command area, but also the Autobots relations with Earth in general?


"...parts should be in cargo bay fourteen by the end of the week. The Engineers also want to take a look at the super structure in grid five-alpha-seven to make sure there's not some stress cracking. Also, Research has requested an extra 20% draw off the power grid for a good two standard Terran weeks so they can..."

Ultra Magnus held up a hand and Perceptor paused and glanced up from his memo pad to cock and eyebrow ridge.

"Thank you Perceptor, but I think that'll be all for now." Ultra Magnus said in his confident baritone. "You can leave the Memo Pad on my desk and I'll look over the rest and approve what I need to. Right now, I think I need to take a little breather."

"Of course, Commander." Perceptor nodded, setting the pad down on the desk made out of orange metal as Ultra Magnus tipped his massive chair back in a resting posture. The Autobot scientist cocked his head to his side and politely asked, "Will that be all, sir?"

"Yes Perceptor, thank you."

Perceptor nodded and exited Ultra Magnus' office. As the hatch hissed closed, Ultra Magnus let his chair snap back and he let out a sigh of tension. Leaning forward on his desk, he pinched the bridge of his nasal bump and shut off his optics for a moment. It was a gesture he'd copied from Humans, and while it lacked any sort of physical benefits, the release of tension in something so minute helped his mental state far more then he would have allowed himself to believe not more then six standard Terran months before.

Magnus winced as he stood, his servos whining in protest for a moment as the control runs fought off the lock ups of joints in need of a good oiling. Positive his legs weren't going to go out on him, Magnus walked around his desk, shooting the memo pad a slight look of contempt and walked over to his floor-to-ceiling window in the main tower of Autobot City.

"City" being a relative term, given the half completed skeletons of buildings and temporary recharging stations for the technicians and workers both Human and Cybertronian responsible in construction. On most days, the sight of that frenzied but organized work gave Ultra Magnus some sense of pride, but today...

Ultra Magnus let his optics settle on the far eastern corner of the city, and the green grass beyond. Clicking up the magnification on his optics, he brought into focus the gathering of Humans just beyond the city limits brandishing signs and shouting obscenities to any worker in earshot.

There were more of them today, Ultra Magnus observed grimly. He hadn't realized there was a section of the Human population so against supporting the Autobots in their ongoing civil war, but even that was secondary to the sobering indication that a vast majority of Humans couldn't tell and didn't really care who was an Autobot or Decepticon. All they knew, all that mattered, was that Cybertronians had no business on Earth and should get off their planet.

Ultra Magnus could somewhat understand their reasoning, Primus knew the Decepticons loved causing as much chaos as possible. But the open hostility to the Autobots and the construction of Autobot City in general had come as a shock to even the Autobots who had been on Earth for some time. So for Ultra Magnus, handpicked by Optimus Prime to be city commander and a new "immigrant" to Earth, it was even more jarring.

Magnus was jerked out of his thoughts by a sudden flash of light near the western gate. His gaze immediatly shifting, Magnus gapped in horror. The western gate was ablaze, the remains of a cargo truck evident around the blast. A Car Bomb. As Magnus watched, the old warhorse Kup was all but whipping the younger Autobots, Blurr and Hot Rod, into action with water hoses to put out the fire while First Aid and the rest of the Protectobots raced into the blaze to look for the driver of the truck...and the Autobot sentry on duty.

This represented a dangerous escalation in hostilities to the Autobots, and Ultra Magnus tried to grapple with the concept of such a tactic when motion from the other side of his field of view drew his optics back to the group of protesters. The protesters had obviously been waiting for the bomb, because they were already swarming that section of the city's construction. Two Human workers were dragged under the tidal wave of bodies and Ultra Magnus could make out instruments in the protesters hands - pipes, bricks, anything else they could use as a weapon. And that wasn't all, Chromia barely missing a well tossed Molotov Cocktail.

Ultra Magnus sensed the chaos seeping into his command area, and for one instant, was uncertain of the action he could take. But then his optics locked on the ground, where two Transformers also watched the carnage. One was green on green in color, the other white and pink. Springer had his sword drawn and was stalking towards the violent protesters, Arcee seemed to be doing her level best to stop Springer before he did anything rash.

Memo Pad forgotten, Ultra Magnus rushed towards the tower lift. As he did, he keyed his communicator.

"Blaster here." A familiar voice said over the com.

"Blaster, this is Ultra Magnus. I want every security camera and recording device trained on the Western and Eastern Perimeter, ASAP! We need to get all the evidence we can, so make sure you back up all the recordings."

"Understood boss man. Should I send out a distress signal to the local authorities?"

Ultra Magnus entered the lift, hit the ground floor button and waited for the car to begin moving before he replied. "Negative. Contact the State Government and inform them of the situation. Local Police won't be able to contain and neutralize that mob - we'll need the National Guard."

"And what about our side?" Blaster asked, an edge creeping into his voice, almost like a sick hunger. Ultra Magnus was shocked to hear it, but after what just happened he couldn't blame the generally cheerful Autobot.

"That's already about to blow up in our faces. I'm heading out to try and prevent an incident, but get a signal to Streetwise. I may need to detain a few Autobots."

"Gotcha, Ultra Magnus."

Springer paid Arcee's pleas absolutely no mind. He'd just witnessed two good men - men with families to support - get beaten and almost killed just for standing in the way of that...organic filth. Springer had never much cared for the Organics of this planet, but he had to admit the majority of them weren't bad. He'd even become friends with some of them, but this was just too much. From the moment those so-called "protesters" had shown up, Springer had always known they'd be trouble. And now they were trying to rip apart what was going to be his new home? All because they didn't want the Autobots on Earth? What did they think the Decepticons would do if the Autobots didn't have a localized presence on Earth? Just ignore it?!

Springer brought his sword up. Even at this range, he'd cut down more then half the rabble. It would likely be enough to send the vermin scurrying back into their holes and frankly, nobody'd miss em.

Springer never brought his sword down. A powerful arm grabbed his just as he was about to swing, and struggle as he could, he couldn't break free of it.

"And just what do you think you're doing, Springer?!" Ultra Magnus demanded almost desperately. "What do you think will happen if you kill them?"

"The rest will leave, that's what!" Springer snapped back.

Ultra Magnus shook Springer. "That won't help anyone! All it will do is prove their point! No lasting harm has been done so far. Mirage got shook up, but otherwise he's okay and the truck was remote controlled."

"And those two workers are..."

"Are knocked senseless, but still alive!" Ultra Magnus pleaded. "Look at them Springer - they're causing a ruckus but generally not damaging anything. If they wanted to, they could have torn down this entire sector, but they aren't. And the reason they aren't is because they want us to press first!"

"I..." Springer stared at the sea of organic madness in front of him and couldn't see what Ultra Magnus apparently saw. "...Are you sure?" He asked, dubious.

"Positive." The city commander nodded.

Springer lowered his sword arm. "Alright, so they're just being annoying, but that still doesn't solve the problem of how we stop them from being so damn annoying. Eventually, they'll make one of our people snap."

"Streetwise and Blades are running interception for possible incidents, but I agree we need to do something." Ultra Magnus' lips twitched in what was almost a grin, and the look in his optics was conspiratorial as he brought up his com. "Blaster?"

"Yo Boss Man?"

"I need a feedback discharge in my location, set it for 20 Terran seconds, then patch me into the network. Oh, and don't forget our little "bonus"."

"Gotcha!" Blaster practically grinned through the com.

Suddenly, every speaker operational in Autobot City let loose a howl of Feedback. Autobots grimaced but generally turned down their audio gain. Humans, on the other hand, had no such option. The Protesters stopped their mad rush to clutch their ears in agony as the sound cut into their very bones.

"Now hear this!" Ultra Magnus' voice boomed from the speakers. "You people are trespassing on Sovereign Cybertronian soil, and as such can be constructed as an act of war against the people of Cybertron and the Autobots in general! I, however, am feeling mighty generous today and I give you the opportunity to clear out of here. In roughly twenty Earth minutes, troops from this state's National Guard will be arriving to arrest anyone illegally on Cybertronian soil. For your sake, I suggest you be somewhere else."

Ultra Magnus' com chirped, and he suppressed another smile. That chirp meant the "bonus" was active - and Blaster had just temporarily shut down the recorders. A rogue spike in the power grid, a shame really but not unexpected given a brand new fusion plant handling an untested load. So sad.

"And let me make something perfectly clear to each and every one of you." Ultra Magnus' voice had taken on all the gentleness of tempered steel. "If I see any one of your faces in and around my city again, I will personally toss that person into lower orbit."

Ultra Magnus looked out on the group of dumbfounded faces.

"See if I don't."


End file.
